Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Central Coast Louisiana Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study, 12601-12602 [2019-06355]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 2, 2019 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the South Central Coast Louisiana
Flood Risk Management Feasibility
Study
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),
New Orleans District intends to prepare
a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and
Environmental Impact Statement (DIFR–
EIS) for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) to assess the potential
social, economic, and environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
project titled, South Central Coast
Louisiana Flood Risk Management
Feasibility Study. The DIFR–EIS
documents the existing condition of
environmental resources in and around
areas considered for development, and
potential impacts on those resources as
a result of implementing the
alternatives.
ADDRESSES: Questions or comments
about the proposed action or requests to
be added to the project mailing list
should be directed to Ms. Carrie Schott,
CEMVN–PM–B, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, New Orleans District, 7400
Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118,
email, Southcentralcoaststudy@
usace.army.mil. Comments may also be
entered at the following web page:
https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/
South-Central-Coast/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Carrie Schott, (504) 862–1153.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead
agency for this proposed action is the
USACE. The Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority
(CPRA) is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing
the DIFR–EIS study under the standing
authority of Bipartisan Budget Act of
2018, (Pub. L. 115–123), Division B,
Subdivision 1, H. R. 1892—13, Title IV,
Corps Of Engineers—Civil, Department
Of The Army, Investigations, and H.R.
Docket 2767, 20 Sep 2006, Southeast
Coastal Louisiana, LA, Resolved by the
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the United States
House of Representatives. The
Bipartisan Budget Act authorizes the
USACE proposed South Central Coast
Louisiana Flood Protection and Coastal
Storm Risk Management Project
amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:45 Apr 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
planning and potential construction
project. The study phase is 100%
federally funded.
2. Background. The study area
encompasses the Louisiana coastal
parishes of Iberia, St Mary, and St
Martin. The study area has experienced
repetitive storm events including
Hurricanes Rita, Ike, Gustav, and
Andrew, resulting in loss of life,
wildlife, and property, and repeated
mandatory evacuation costs. This report
will present the proposed alternatives
resulting in risk of storm damage
reduction to industries and businesses
critical to the Nation’s economy and
protect the health and safety of
Louisiana coastal communities.
The study area needs increased
sustainability and resiliency to flood
events for the affected communities. In
addition, the study area’s topography,
low elevation, proximity to the Gulf of
Mexico, subsiding lands, and rising
seas, are all contributing factors causing
coastal flooding, shoreline erosion and
loss of wetlands. Without additional
storm damage reduction measures, the
people, economy, environment, and
cultural heritage of coastal areas in
South Central Louisiana are at risk from
reoccurring damages caused by
hurricane storm surge flooding and
riverine flooding.
The USACE will analyze numerous
issues in the DEIS related to the effects
of any proposed storm damage
reduction measures. These issues will
include, but will not be limited to, the
following: Continued wetlands losses
impacting migratory species, the
ecological nurseries of the Gulf of
Mexico, and various commercial and
recreational activities.
The USACE will focus their analysis
on the following resources: Aesthetics
and visual resources, water quality and
salinity aquatic resources/wetlands,
invasive plant species fish and wildlife
resources, threatened/endangered
species and other protected species of
concern, cultural & historic resources
and tribal trust resources, floodplains,
hazardous, toxic & radioactive waste,
hydrology, land use, navigation and
public infrastructure, socio-economics,
environmental justice, soils,
sustainability, greening and climate
change.
3. Alternatives. The USACE will
evaluate a range of alternatives for the
proposed action including structural
and nonstructural measures. For the
reasonable and practicable alternatives,
the USACE will fully evaluate them,
including the no action alternative.
Alternatives may result in avoidance
and minimization, and mitigation
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12601
measures of impacts to reduce or offset
any impacts.
Structural measures would include
wave attenuation measures adjacent to
each measure or closer to the coastal
shoreline. Structural measures
recommended for consideration
currently include:
• Structural Measure 1: State
Alignment A.
• Structural Measure 2: State
Alignment B.
• Structural Measure 3: Rail Road
Alignment.
• Structural Measure 4: Existing
Levee Improvements.
• Structural Measure 5: Ring Levees.
The USACE is also considering
nonstructural measures. These include:
• Non-structural Measure 1: Buyouts.
• Non-structural Measure 2: Wet
proofing
• Non-structural Measure 3: Dry
proofing.
4. Public Involvement. Public
involvement, an essential part of the
NEPA process, is integral to assessing
the environmental consequences of the
proposed action and improving the
quality of the environmental decision
making. The public includes affected
and interested Federal, state, and local
agencies, Indian tribes, concerned
citizens, stakeholders, and other
interested parties. Public participation
in the NEPA process is strongly
encouraged, both formally and
informally, to enhance the probability of
a more technically accurate,
economically feasible, and socially
acceptable EIS. Public involvement
includes, but is not limited to:
Information dissemination;
identification of problems, needs, and
opportunities; idea generation; public
education; problem solving; providing
feedback on proposals; evaluation of
alternatives; conflict resolution; public
and scoping notices and meetings;
public, stakeholder, and advisory
groups consultation and meetings; and
making the EIS and supporting
information readily available in
conveniently located places, such as
libraries and on the world wide web.
5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and
open process for identifying the scope of
significant issues related to the
proposed action to be addressed in the
EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the
affected public and agency concerns; (b)
facilitate an efficient EIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and
alternatives examined in detail in the
EIS; and (d) save time in the overall
process by helping to ensure the draft
EIS adequately addresses relevant
issues.
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES
12602
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 2, 2019 / Notices
All interested parties are invited to
comment at this time, and anyone
interested in the DIFR–DEIS should
request to be included on the
distribution list. The scoping period
will extend for 45 days after the date of
this Notice of Intent publication.
Comments should be as specific as
possible. Additional public involvement
will be sought through the
implementation of the public
involvement plan and the agency
coordination team. Comments may be
mailed, emailed or entered at: https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/SouthCentral-Coast/.
A Scoping Meeting Notice
announcing the locations, dates and
times for scoping meetings is
anticipated to be posted on the project
website, https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/SouthCentral-Coast/ and through various
advertising avenues widely available to
the public no later than 15 days prior to
the meeting dates.
6. Environmental Consultation and
Review. The USACE will serve as the
lead Federal agency in the preparation
of the DIFR–DEIS. Other Federal and/or
state agencies may participate as
cooperating and/or commenting
agencies throughout the study process.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) will assist in documenting
existing conditions and assessing effects
of project alternatives through the Fish
and Wildlife Coordination Act
consultation procedures. In addition,
because the proposed project may affect
federally listed species, the USACE will
consult with the USFWS and the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) in accordance with the
Endangered Species Act, Section 7. The
USACE will consult the NMFS
regarding the effects of the project on
Essential Fish Habitat per the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. The
USACE will consult with affected
Federally Recognized Tribes. Other
environmental review and consultation
requirements for the proposed project
include the need for Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality
Clean Water Act Section 401 water
quality certification and Clean Air Act
coordination. The USACE will consult
with the State Historic Preservation
Officer under National Historic
Preservation Act, Section 106,
concerning properties listed or
potentially eligible for listing. The
USACE will coordinate with the
Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources for coastal zone management
consistency per the Coastal Zone
Management Act.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:32 Apr 01, 2019
Jkt 247001
7. Availability. The USACE currently
estimates the DIFR–DEIS will be
available for public review and
comment in December 2019. At that
time, the USACE will provide a 45-day
public review period for individuals
and agencies to review and comment.
The USACE will notify all interested
agencies, organizations, and individuals
of the availability of the draft document
at that time.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019–06355 Filed 4–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Amite River and Tributaries-East of
the Mississippi River, Louisiana, Flood
Risk Management Feasibility Study
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New
Orleans District (USACE) intends to
prepare a Draft Integrated Feasibility
Report and Environmental Impact
Statement (DIFR–EIS) to assess the
potential social, economic, and
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed project titled, ‘‘Amite
River and Tributaries—East of the
Mississippi River, Louisiana, Flood Risk
Management Feasibility Study.’’ The
DIFR–EIS will document the existing
conditions of environmental resources
in and around areas considered for
construction, and potential impacts on
those resources as a result of
implementing the alternatives.
DATES: A Scoping Meeting Notice
announcing the locations, dates and
times for scoping meetings is
anticipated to be posted on the project
website, https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/
Projects/BBA-2018/studies/ and
published in the local newspapers no
later than 15 days prior to the meeting
dates.
ADDRESSES: Ms. Kaitlyn Carriere,
CEMVN–PMR, Room 331, 7400 Leake
Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118.
AmiteFS@usace.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions or comments about
the proposed action or would like to be
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
added to the project mailing list, please
call Ms. Kaitlyn Carriere at (504) 862–
1798. For additional information, please
visit the following https://
www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/
Projects/BBA-2018/studies/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead
agency for this proposed action is the
USACE. Louisiana Department of
Transportation and Development
(LDOTD) is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing
the DIFR–EIS study under the standing
authority of Bipartisan Budget Act of
2018, (Pub. L. 115–123), Division B,
Subdivision 1, H. R. 1892—13, Title IV,
Corps Of Engineers—Civil, Department
Of The Army, Investigations. The
Bipartisan Budget Act authorizes the
USACE proposed Amite River and
Tributaries—East of the Mississippi
River, Louisiana, Flood Risk
Management Feasibility Study planning
and potential construction project. The
study phase is 100% federal funding.
2. Background. The study area, which
includes the Amite River Basin,
encompasses an area of approximately
3,450 square miles consisting of 8
Louisiana parishes (East Feleciana, St.
Helena, East Baton Rouge, Livingston,
Iberville, Ascension, St. James, and St.
John the Baptist), Maurepas Lake, and 4
Mississippi counties (Amite, Wilkinson,
Franklin, and Lincoln). Over threefourths of the study area lies in the
parishes of southeastern Louisiana,
located east of the Mississippi River and
north of Lake Maurepas. The upper onefourth of the study area’s drainage area
lies in the southwestern Mississippi
counties.
The Amite River and its tributaries
has caused flood damages to industrial,
commercial, agricultural facilities, and
residential and nonresidential
structures. As recently as August 2016,
the President issued disaster
declarations for parishes in the Amite
River Basin due to impacts from ‘‘The
Great Flood of 2016’’. The flood was
responsible for 13 deaths and the rescue
of at least 19,000 people. The study area
experienced historic flooding to
thousands of homes and businesses and
impacts to the Nation’s critical
infrastructure because both the I–10 and
I–12 transportation system were
shutdown for days. Major urban centers
in the basin saw significant flooding
well outside of normal flood stages.
The Amite River Basin primarily has
flooding from two different sources. The
Upper Basin flooding is caused from
headwater flooding from rainfall events.
The lower basin flooding is caused by
a combination of drainage from
headwaters and backwater flooding
E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM
02APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12601-12602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06355]
[[Page 12601]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the South Central Coast Louisiana Flood Risk Management
Feasibility Study
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New Orleans District intends to
prepare a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact
Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) to assess the potential social, economic, and environmental
impacts associated with the proposed project titled, South Central
Coast Louisiana Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study. The DIFR-EIS
documents the existing condition of environmental resources in and
around areas considered for development, and potential impacts on those
resources as a result of implementing the alternatives.
ADDRESSES: Questions or comments about the proposed action or requests
to be added to the project mailing list should be directed to Ms.
Carrie Schott, CEMVN-PM-B, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
District, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, email,
[email protected]. Comments may also be entered at
the following web page: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/South-Central-Coast/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Carrie Schott, (504) 862-1153.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead agency for this proposed action is
the USACE. The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
(CPRA) is the non-Federal sponsor.
1. Authority. The USACE is preparing the DIFR-EIS study under the
standing authority of Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, (Pub. L. 115-123),
Division B, Subdivision 1, H. R. 1892--13, Title IV, Corps Of
Engineers--Civil, Department Of The Army, Investigations, and H.R.
Docket 2767, 20 Sep 2006, Southeast Coastal Louisiana, LA, Resolved by
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the United States
House of Representatives. The Bipartisan Budget Act authorizes the
USACE proposed South Central Coast Louisiana Flood Protection and
Coastal Storm Risk Management Project planning and potential
construction project. The study phase is 100% federally funded.
2. Background. The study area encompasses the Louisiana coastal
parishes of Iberia, St Mary, and St Martin. The study area has
experienced repetitive storm events including Hurricanes Rita, Ike,
Gustav, and Andrew, resulting in loss of life, wildlife, and property,
and repeated mandatory evacuation costs. This report will present the
proposed alternatives resulting in risk of storm damage reduction to
industries and businesses critical to the Nation's economy and protect
the health and safety of Louisiana coastal communities.
The study area needs increased sustainability and resiliency to
flood events for the affected communities. In addition, the study
area's topography, low elevation, proximity to the Gulf of Mexico,
subsiding lands, and rising seas, are all contributing factors causing
coastal flooding, shoreline erosion and loss of wetlands. Without
additional storm damage reduction measures, the people, economy,
environment, and cultural heritage of coastal areas in South Central
Louisiana are at risk from reoccurring damages caused by hurricane
storm surge flooding and riverine flooding.
The USACE will analyze numerous issues in the DEIS related to the
effects of any proposed storm damage reduction measures. These issues
will include, but will not be limited to, the following: Continued
wetlands losses impacting migratory species, the ecological nurseries
of the Gulf of Mexico, and various commercial and recreational
activities.
The USACE will focus their analysis on the following resources:
Aesthetics and visual resources, water quality and salinity aquatic
resources/wetlands, invasive plant species fish and wildlife resources,
threatened/endangered species and other protected species of concern,
cultural & historic resources and tribal trust resources, floodplains,
hazardous, toxic & radioactive waste, hydrology, land use, navigation
and public infrastructure, socio-economics, environmental justice,
soils, sustainability, greening and climate change.
3. Alternatives. The USACE will evaluate a range of alternatives
for the proposed action including structural and nonstructural
measures. For the reasonable and practicable alternatives, the USACE
will fully evaluate them, including the no action alternative.
Alternatives may result in avoidance and minimization, and mitigation
measures of impacts to reduce or offset any impacts.
Structural measures would include wave attenuation measures
adjacent to each measure or closer to the coastal shoreline. Structural
measures recommended for consideration currently include:
Structural Measure 1: State Alignment A.
Structural Measure 2: State Alignment B.
Structural Measure 3: Rail Road Alignment.
Structural Measure 4: Existing Levee Improvements.
Structural Measure 5: Ring Levees.
The USACE is also considering nonstructural measures. These
include:
Non-structural Measure 1: Buyouts.
Non-structural Measure 2: Wet proofing
Non-structural Measure 3: Dry proofing.
4. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
NEPA process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences
of the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal,
state, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the
NEPA process is strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, to
enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically
feasible, and socially acceptable EIS. Public involvement includes, but
is not limited to: Information dissemination; identification of
problems, needs, and opportunities; idea generation; public education;
problem solving; providing feedback on proposals; evaluation of
alternatives; conflict resolution; public and scoping notices and
meetings; public, stakeholder, and advisory groups consultation and
meetings; and making the EIS and supporting information readily
available in conveniently located places, such as libraries and on the
world wide web.
5. Scoping. Scoping, an early and open process for identifying the
scope of significant issues related to the proposed action to be
addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the affected public
and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS preparation
process; (c) define the issues and alternatives examined in detail in
the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall process by helping to ensure
the draft EIS adequately addresses relevant issues.
[[Page 12602]]
All interested parties are invited to comment at this time, and
anyone interested in the DIFR-DEIS should request to be included on the
distribution list. The scoping period will extend for 45 days after the
date of this Notice of Intent publication. Comments should be as
specific as possible. Additional public involvement will be sought
through the implementation of the public involvement plan and the
agency coordination team. Comments may be mailed, emailed or entered
at: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/South-Central-Coast/.
A Scoping Meeting Notice announcing the locations, dates and times
for scoping meetings is anticipated to be posted on the project
website, https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/South-Central-Coast/ and
through various advertising avenues widely available to the public no
later than 15 days prior to the meeting dates.
6. Environmental Consultation and Review. The USACE will serve as
the lead Federal agency in the preparation of the DIFR-DEIS. Other
Federal and/or state agencies may participate as cooperating and/or
commenting agencies throughout the study process. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) will assist in documenting existing conditions
and assessing effects of project alternatives through the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act consultation procedures. In addition, because
the proposed project may affect federally listed species, the USACE
will consult with the USFWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) in accordance with the Endangered Species Act, Section 7. The
USACE will consult the NMFS regarding the effects of the project on
Essential Fish Habitat per the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act. The USACE will consult with affected Federally
Recognized Tribes. Other environmental review and consultation
requirements for the proposed project include the need for Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality Clean Water Act Section 401 water
quality certification and Clean Air Act coordination. The USACE will
consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer under National
Historic Preservation Act, Section 106, concerning properties listed or
potentially eligible for listing. The USACE will coordinate with the
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for coastal zone management
consistency per the Coastal Zone Management Act.
7. Availability. The USACE currently estimates the DIFR-DEIS will
be available for public review and comment in December 2019. At that
time, the USACE will provide a 45-day public review period for
individuals and agencies to review and comment. The USACE will notify
all interested agencies, organizations, and individuals of the
availability of the draft document at that time.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-06355 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
